Single taco trap and holder

ABSTRACT

A disposable single trap and holder for tacos and the like comprised of semi-rigid flat material to accommodate the ability of the holder to be efficiently packaged in a retail container. The holder has a flat disk-shaped configuration with specific cuts and lines of weakness, whereas, when pressed outward from center, the holder will form first and second side walls extending from a generally horizontal base portion to accommodate and support a taco and the like in an upright position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates generally to a disposable trap and holderto support one taco per holder and the like that is suitable for massproduction and inclusion in packaging for public restaurants andconsumer use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In providing a taco holder for inclusion in public restaurantsand consumer use, among the considerations that must be addressed arethe ease of assembly and use by the consumer: the efficiency for holdinga taco in an upright position, to serve and the like without spillage orbreakage during filling and possibly heating; the ability to hold a tacoand the like for individaulized servings; and the ability of the holderto be efficiently packaged in a retail container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

[0003] The disadvantages with some holders, besides being too expensiveand structually complex in design, are the difficulties for the consumerto assemble the device and the inadequacy to facilitate packaging in aretail container.

[0004] In the past, efforts have been made toward mastering aninexpensive, disposable holder that is both structurally adequate andeasy to package in a retail container.

[0005] For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,273,278 and 5,971,168 disclose aholder for multiple taco shells, which is disposable, and can bemaintained in a flat position prior to use.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,010 discloses a taco tray, which is made byconverting the retail container that is used to package food items, suchas taco shells.

[0007] U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,005,704, 4,925,032, and 4,872,566 disclose aholder for single taco shells, which is disposable, and can bemaintained in a flat position prior to use.

[0008] The disadvantages of prior designs as those disclosed in the'278, '168, '010, '704, '032, and '566 patents are the difficulties ofassembling the taco holders and the structural complexity toeconomically manufacture such designs. The design disclosed in the '278patent requires the bottom wall folds in on itself so that the holdermay be shifted to a rise position by unfolding and flattening the bottomwall. The design disclosed in the '168 patent requires that inconjunction with forming several folds, several tabs and slots or gluestrips must be employed in order to create the finished holder. The '010patent requires that several perforated sections be removed from the boxin order to form the taco holder, thus can no longer provide a means tostore remaining unused product. The '704, '032, and '566 patents, eventhough being single taco holders, once again, require that inconjunction with forming several folds, several tabs and slots or gluestrips must be employed in order to create the finished holder.

[0009] It can be seen that the present invention is an improvement overthese prior-art taco holders by providing a simple, easy to assemble,cost efficient taco holder, which can be disposable and meets thecriteria desired for such devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Accordingly, it is an object that the present invention provide asingle holder for a taco and the like comprised of semi-rigid flatmaterial structurally adequate to support a taco and the like in anupright position and which is also inexpensive to make, easy toassemble, and maintains a flat position prior to use for incorporationinto a retail container. The taco trap and holder preferably comprises abase portion and a centrally located pair of side structures defining anopen slot for receiving a taco and the like when folded outward atcenter. The center portion of the taco trap and holder may contain aplurality of lines punched therein with two peripheral lines of weaknessso that the holder may be maintained in a flat position prior to use.

[0011] The above object and advantages of this invention are pointed outwith particularity in the claims and annexed hereto and forming a parthereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, theadvantages, and the objects obtained by its use, the following drawingswhich form a further part hereof, should be referenced in which there isillustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form apart of the specification, illustrate the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, and together with the descriptions, serve to explainthe principles of the invention.

[0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled taco trap and holderin accordance with a second embodiment of the invention.

[0014]FIG. 2 is a top view of a taco trap and holder blank in accordancewith a first embodiment of the invention.

[0015]FIG. 3 is a top view of a taco trap and holder in accordance witha second embodiment of the invention.

[0016]FIG. 4 is a side view of a taco trap and holder in accordance witha second embodiment of the invention.

[0017]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a taco trap and holder depictingthe device in its entirety accompanied by the product it was inventedfor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0018] As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, theinvention is preferably embodied in a holder 6 formed of semi-rigidmaterial. Virtually any semi-rigid material may be suitable to practicethe invention; examples of such materials are various grades of paper orpaperboard approved for direct food contact, including, but not limitedto, solid bleached sulfate, solid unbleached sulfate, recycledpaperboard, unbleached craft chipboard, or combinations of these orother materials. In a preferred embodiment, a recyclable, bleachedpaperboard with a polymer based coating is used to manufacture theinvention.

[0019] Several types of plastic approved for direct food contact may beutilized for such coating.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a polyethylenecoating is used. Although materials of various thicknesses would beappropriate to practice the invention, in a preferred embodiment thethickness of the paperboard varies between about {fraction (1/16)} inchto about ⅛ inch.

[0021] To achieve adequate stiffness, the thickness of the materialshould be a minimum of about {fraction (1/16)} inch.

[0022] A circular blank for the taco trap and holder in accordance witha first embodiment is drawn approximately 125% in size in FIG. 2.

[0023] Although the size of the food article to be placed in the holdermay vary in thickness slightly, the dimensions of the preferredembodiment 6 of each unassembled blank is 2½to 3 inches in diameter. Aplurality of lines 7 punched therein with two peripheral lines 8 ofweakness provides a means to fold outwardly a pair of adequately spaced,first 9 and second 10 side walls, to accommodate and support a taco andthe like in an upright position.

[0024] As to assemble the taco trap and holder from the blank in FIG. 2,the central lines 7 and 11 punched therein are situated along thelongitudinal axis of the blank and parallel to each other from center ofblank along lines of weakness 8. The displacement of the side walls 9and 10 may be folded backward to maintain an upright position.

[0025] To assemble the taco trap and holder from the blank of FIG. 2,folds are made along the lines of weakness 8.

[0026] The central 11 and side cut edges 7 form the walls of the holderwith the peripheral lines of weakness 8 situated at opposing sides ofthe base 6.

[0027] Once the holder is assembled and the side walls 9 and 10 are inan upright position, the apertures provide a means for holding a taco 12and the like in place.

[0028] However, it is to be understood, that even though numerousadvantages and characteristics of the present invention have been setforth in the foregoing description, together with the function anddetails of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, andchanges may be made in detail pertaining to size, shape, materials,parts, and arrangement of parts, falling within the scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A blank for assembly into a holder for a taco andthe like comprising: a) a substantially disk-shaped object formed ofsemi-rigid material; b) a central longitudinal cut line; c) first andsecond cut lines transverse on opposing ends of said centrallongitudinal cut line; d) first and second lines of weakness beingparallel to and on opposing sides of said central longitudinal cut line;e) first and second side walls, configured so that when said blank ispressed outward along said longitudinal and said first and secondtransverse cut lines, said disk-shaped object forms substantiallyperpendicular said first and second side walls extending therefrom.
 2. Ablank for assembly into a holder for a taco and the like as in claim 1,wherein said disk-shaped object is an oval shaped flat object formed ofsemi-rigid material.
 3. A blank for assembly into a holder for a tacoand the like as in claim 1, wherein said disk-shaped object is a squareshaped flat object formed of semi-rigid material.
 4. A blank forassembly into a holder for a taco and the like as in claim 1, whereinsaid disk-shaped object is a rectangular shaped flat object formed of asemi-rigid material.
 5. A blank for assembly into a holder for a tacoand the like as in claim 1, wherein said disk-shaped object is a roundshape with symmetrical points form of semi-rigid material.
 6. A blankfor assembly into a holder for a taco and the like as in claim 1,wherein said disk-shaped object is an octagonal shaped flat objectformed of semi-rigid material.
 7. A blank for assembly into a holder fora taco and the like as in claim 1, wherein said a central longitudinalcut line and first and second cut lines transverse on opposing ends ofsaid central longitudinal cut line are perforated lines.
 8. A blank forassembly into a holder for a taco and the like as in claim 1, whereinsaid first and second lines of weakness being parallel to and onopposing sides of said central longitudinal cut line are perforatedlines.
 9. A blank for assembly into a holder for a taco and the likecomprising: a) a substantially disk-shaped object formed of semi-rigidmaterial; b) a central longitudinal cut line; c) a central latitudinalcut line; d) first and second cut lines transverse on opposing ends ofsaid central longitudinal cut line; e) first and second lines ofweakness being parallel to and on opposing sides of said centrallongitudinal cut line; f) first, second, third, and fourth side walls,configured so that when said blank is pressed outward along saidlongitudinal, latitudinal, and said first and second transverse cutlines, said disk-shaped object forms substantially perpendicular saidfirst, second, third, and fourth side walls extending therefrom.
 10. Ablank for assembly into a holder for a taco and the like as in claim 9,wherein said disk-shaped object is an oval shaped flat object formed ofsemi-rigid material.
 11. A blank for assembly into a holder for a tacoand the like as in claim 9, wherein said disk-shaped object is a squareshaped flat object formed of semi-rigid material.
 12. A blank forassembly into a holder for a taco and the like as in claim 9, whereinsaid disk-shaped object is a rectangular shaped flat object formed of asemi-rigid material.
 13. A blank for assembly into a holder for a tacoand the like as in claim 9, wherein said disk-shaped object is a roundshape with symmetrical points form of semi-rigid material.
 14. A blankfor assembly into a holder for a taco and the like as in claim 9,wherein said disk-shaped object is an octagonal shaped flat objectformed of semi-rigid material.
 15. A blank for assembly into a holderfor a taco and the like as in claim 9, wherein said central longitudinaland latitudinal cut lines and first and second cut lines transverse onopposing ends of said central longitudinal cut line are perforatedlines.
 16. A blank for assembly into a holder for a taco and the like asin claim 9, wherein said first and second lines of weakness beingparallel to and on opposing sides of said central longitudinal cut lineare perforated lines.